International Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has granted a further $387,000 in emergency relief for war victims in Syria, in particular refugees and distressed Christian families in Homs, Aleppo and the "Valley of Christians."

A further $180,000 with be donated for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The Head of the Middle East Section at ACN, Father Dr. Andrzej Halemba, fears that the situation in Syria will continue to deteriorate and that the war atrocities will increase.

"The suffering of the people in Syria, and especially of the Christians, will become even greater," he said, adding that a lot more aid would be necessary.

About 140,000 people have lost their lives in the war. There are now more than 9 million Syrians on the run, of which 2 million are fleeing abroad and 7 million are still in the country.

Several million homes have been destroyed in the war, as have thousands of businesses and companies, and also fields which provided many people with the means of subsistence.

Since the start of the war in March 2011, Aid to the Church in Need has granted aid of over $4.8 million in Syria and for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

Since January 2014 a total of $878,400 in emergency relief has been granted for war victims and refugees from Syria.